Valve mechanism for refrigerating apparatus



Aug. 5. 1924.; 7 1,503,482

F. o. CONlLL VALVE MECHANISM FOR REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 1. 1921 I NVEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 5, 1924.

UNITED STATES FERNAN O. CONILL, 0F MARSEILLE, FRANCE.

VALVE MECHANISM FOR REFRIGERATIN G APPARATUS.

Application filed November 1, 1921. Serial No. 512,082.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FERNAN O. CONILL, a citizen of the Republic of Cuba, and a resident of Marseille, France, have invented a certain new and useful Valve Mechanism for Refrigerating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and with regard to its more specific features to valve-controlling mechanism for refrigerating apparatus.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a simple, practical and effective means for insuring the desired and proper actuation of a valve in refrigerating apparatus, particularly of the type in which a solution having a gas dissolved therein is heated in one receptacle to drive the gas out of solution, whence it may pass to another receptacle in which a condensation or liquefaction of the gas takes place, the subsequent evaporation of the condensed gas producing a refrigerating efiect. Another object of this invention is to provide in apparatus of the above character a valve-controlling device which shall be of simple and inexpensive construction but of reliable and thoroughly dependable action. Other objects will be in part obvious or in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of eleme-nts and arrangements of parts as will be exemplified in the structure to be hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In describing this invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which is shown a vertical sectional View, of a closed receptacle for agas held in solution, which gas is releasable by heating the receptacle.

The receptacle here shown is the heating receptacle of a refrigerating apparatus of a type such as shown in my pending application, Sr. No. 496,232, filed Aug. 29, 1921, the outlet of such container being in communication with a refrigerating chamber to which the gas is conducted for cooling and condensation. The gas thus condensed or liquefied begins to evaporate andfor its evaporation withdraws heat from the walls of the refrigerating chamber and upon continued evaporation returns to the receptacle through a pipe extending into the receptacle the liquid in the receptacle and again goes into solution.

1 designates a closed receptacle having one or more outlets 2 communicating with a pipe 3, which in turn communicates with the refrigerating chamber, not shown. The receptacle 1 may be heated in any desired manner so that the gas dissolved in the solution contained therein is driven out of solution and passed through the outlet or outlets 2 and the pipe 3 to the refrigerating chamber where condensation may take place.

The gas upon the cessation of the heating of the solution in the container 1 and upon the evaporation of the gas in the refrigerating chamber returns to the receptacle through the pipe 3vand through a legt thereof extending to near the bottom of the receptacle whence it is reabsorbed by the liquid in the receptacle 1.

Each outlet 2 is provided with a valve 5 therein adapted to permit the outflow of gas from the receptacle 1 as the latter is heated and which prevents the return of the gas (after evaporation in the refrigerating receptacle) to the receptacle through the outlet 2 and compels it to return through the leg 4 and hence pass through or bubble into the liquid in the receptacle 1.

The valve 5 is here shown as a ball normally resting on a suitable seat 6.

In order that the valve mayv operate positively and open quickly enough, after the solution has been heated suificiently to release some of the gas and to prevent the liquid from being forced by the pressure of the gas up through the leg 4:, valve opening means is provided in the receptacle, which means is operated by the gas released during {he laeating from a trapped portion of the 1qu1 Such means comprises a trap including a cup preferably bodily movable, the motion of which is transferred to the ball or valve, thereby to unseat the valve and thus avoid defective or delayed action due, for example, to the sticking of the valve to its seat; and as here shown,'a movable inverted cup 7 preferably normally resting near the bottom of the receptacle and spaced apart a short distance from the bottom as at 8, has associated with it means such as a rod 11 extending upwardly to within proximity of the valve for transferring the movement of the cup 7 to the valve.

As here illustrated, the rod 11 extends through openings in a guide 9 in the receptacle and in the guide 10 in the outlet, and the lower end of the rod projects beyond the lower edge of the cup 7 and normally rests on the bottom of the receptacle and thus holds the cup spaced apart from the bottom as at 8.

The rod at its-upper end is also normally spaced a small distance from the ball 5 providing a lost motion between the rod and the ball which permits an initial movement of the cup by the gas trapped therein.

In operation, heat is applied to the receptacle in any suit-able manner, and the gas in the solution trapped in the cup 7, raises the cup and opens the valve 5 before the pressure of the gas released from the body of the liquid in the receptacle is great enough to open such valve 5. Hence, the valve 5 is opened before. the liquid is forced to an undue height in the pipe 4. In other words, a greater pressure is initially generated in the cup 7 than in the receptacle 1.

The gas released from the receptacle passes to the refrigerating chamber, and when the apparatus is cooled and condensation or liquefaction of the gas in the refrigerator receptacle has taken place, the gas after subsequent evaporation passes back into the solution through the pipe 3 and leg 4 thereof. Before such movement of the gas,

the cup 7 has returned to its normal position since the heating of the receptacle 1 is discontinued during this stage of return movement of the gas to the receptacle 1 and the valve 5 is seated so that such gas cannot return into the receptacle through the outlet 2 but must pass through the long leg 4.

It may be pointed out that. upon the initiation of the heating of the liquid in the receptacle 1 a. certain amount of gas is trapped in the inverted cup 7 and is efiective to raise the cup with its associated rod 11 to unseat the valve 5. Since the cup 7 during such action moves upwardly, the gas trapped therein is subjected to a. less pressure by the decreased head of the liquid solution and at least a portion thereof escapes, thus permitting a retrograde movement of the cup with its rod 11 to take place. Upon its return movement downwardly gas is again however trapped so that the upward movement is again initiated. The valve 5 may thus be periodically unseated and opened so that its actuation under the existing gas pressure within the receptacle 1 during the heating stage is insured.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided in thisinvention a simple and movable means 1,5os,es2

all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitin wnse.

ivhat I claim is:

1. The combination of a closed receptacle for a gas held in solution and releasable by heating the receptacle, an outlet for the gas, a valve for controlling said outlet, and in the receptacle and operable by the pressure of the gas released during the heating to open the valve, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination of a closed receptacle for a gas held in solution and releasable by heating the receptacle, an outlet for the gas, a valve for controlling said outlet, and

meansin the receptacle and operable by th pressure of the gas released during the heating to open the valve, said means comprising a pocket in the receptacle for receiving a portion of the solution, the pocket being movable by the pressure of the gas evolved therein, and connections between the mov-i able pocket and the valve for transmitting. the motion of the pocket to the valve, su stantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of a closed receptacle for a. gas held in solution and releasable by heating the receptacle, an outlet for the gas, a valve for controlling said outlet, and means in the receptacle and operable by the pressure of the gas released during the heating to open the valve, said means comprising an inverted cup in the receptacle for trapping a portion of the solution, and means for transferring to the valve the movement of the cup effected by the pressure of the gas released from the solution in the cup,

forth.

4. The combination of a closed receptacle for a gas held in solution and releasable by heating the receptacle, an outlet for the gas, a valve for controlling said outlet, and means in the receptacle and operable by the pressure of the gas released during the heating to open the valve, said means comprising an inverted cup in the receptacle for trapping a portion of the solution, and a rod extending from the pocket to the valve to operate the valve during lifting of the cup by the ressure of the gas released during the heating from the solution in the pocket, substantially -as and for the purpose described.

5. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a receptacle adapted to resaid ceive a liquid having dissolved therein a condensable gas which may be released from said liquid upon heating, a port connected to said receptacle for the passage of gas, a valve controlling said port and operated by difl'erence of pressure to permit passage of gas in said port in one direct-ion while preventing passage therethrough in the reverse direction, and additional means, mounted in said receptacle, for automatically unseating valve.

6. In apparatus of the character described. in combination, a receptacle adapted to re-' ceive a liquid having dissolved therein a condensable gas which may be released from said liquid upon heating, a port connected to said receptacle for the passage of gas, a valve controlling said port and adapted to be unseated by the pressure of gas in said receptacle upon the liquid therein being heated to release the gas therefrom, and automatically acting means responsive substantially upon the commencement of and during the continuation of evolution of gas from said liquid upon the latter being heated for repeatedly unseating said valve.

7. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a receptacle adapted to receive a liquid having dissolved therein a condensable gas which may be released from said liquid upon heating, a port connected to said receptacle for the passage of gas, a

valve controlling said port and adapted to be unseated by the pressure of gas in said receptacle upon the liquid therein 1 being heated to release the gas therefrom, and means within said receptacle and in operative connection with said valve responsive substantially upon the commencement of and during the continuation of evolution of gas from said liquid upon the latter being heated for repeatedly unseat-ing said valve.

8, In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a receptacle adapted to receive a liquid having dissolved therein a liquefiable gas, an outlet in said receptacle for the gas, a valve for controlling said outlet, means movably mounted within said receptacle and adaptedto be moved by the pressure of the gas released during the heating of said liquid, and a lost motion connection between said last-mentioned means and said valve for unseating said valve.

9. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a receptacle adapted to receive a liquid having dissolved therein a condensable gas which may-be released from said liquid uponheating, a port connected to said receptacle for the passage of gas, a valve controlling said port and adapted normally to permit passage of gas through said port in one direction while preventing passage therethrough in the reverse direction, and means responsive to the formation of gas bubbles within said'liquid upon the heating thereof for unseat-ing said valve.

10. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a receptacle adapted to receive a liquid having dissolved therein a condensable gas which may be released from said liquid upon heating thereof in one stage of operation of the apparatus and reabsorbed by said liquid in another'stage of operation thereof, said receptacle having conduit means adapted to be connected to another receptacle to permit the passage of gas from one receptacle to the other and including two passages, one in communication with the bottom portion of said first receptacle for the return of gas thereto and the other in communication with the upper portion of said first receptacle for the exit of gas therefrom, avalve associated with one of said passages for controlling the flow of gas therethrough. said valve being adapted to permit the flow of gas in one direction, while preventing the flow of gas in the reverse direction, and means adaptedto be acted upon by rising gas bubbles in said liquid for unseating said valve.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name, at New York, in the county of New York, and State of New York, this 14th day of October, 1921.

FERNAN O. CONILL. 

